Comparing Virgin Vinyl to Recycled Vinyl

Thinking about building a fence around your home, or to surround your property? There are tons of choices out there. You could go with a wooden fence, for instance, or you could opt for metal. Both of those are very durable, but they can be costly. Vinyl fencing or PVC fencing is more affordable and offers a number of other benefits, too. However, you might be put off by the idea that your fence could be made from recycled vinyl. What does that actually mean?

Vinyl and PVC Fencing – The Types

Polyvinylchloride, or PVC, is what vinyl is made from. It’s plastic. What’s more, there are two primary types of PVC on the market that are used to make products like fencing. One of those is called virgin vinyl. This is exactly what it sounds like – pristine vinyl that comes directly from the manufacturing facility. Then, you have recycled PVC fencing. Is this what it sounds like? No, it’s not. In fact, it’s nothing at all like what consumers think of when they hear the word “recycled”.

Recycled vinyl is new. It’s just not made from a single source of raw material. In this instance, scraps of new vinyl left over from other projects are combined to create the raw materials used for the new product – it could be fencing, piping, or any number of other items that PVC is used to make today.

Here is an example: We incorrectly routed the holes in 10 posts before we catch the mistake. These posts have not left the factory, are brand new, and no other flaws. Should we send them to the Landfill?

NO, we grind it up and re-extrude the post again. This step keeps thousands of pounds of material each month out of the landfill.

So, recycled PVC is not actually recycled. It’s just made from new scraps, rather than solid sheets of new material.

Choosing Your Fencing Material

If you’ve decided that vinyl fencing is the right option for you, you’ll need to next decide whether you want virgin vinyl or recycled vinyl. Again, there is no difference in these two materials to you, the consumer. Both are of high quality, and both are made with new vinyl. The single difference is that recycled vinyl is made with pieces of virgin material.

It’s better to buy based on cost – which one can you find at a better price point? Which one is commercial grade? Which one has more UV protection and, thus, durability? If both are of commercial grade, then you really only need to choose based on the price in question, as all commercial vinyl fencing will last a lifetime.

Vinyl fencing of PVC Fencing can be incredibly durable, and very beautiful. You have plenty of things to think about during the purchase process, as well. Don’t let the question of virgin or recycled be one that costs you a lot of time or concern.